


Speechless

by Arty_Girl



Series: Speechless [1]
Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Luke Triton needs a hug, Muteness, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Robin and Macaw are Rook and Bishop, The violence is really only in the first chapter, Which is their UK names
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arty_Girl/pseuds/Arty_Girl
Summary: When Hershel does not hand the Azran Key over fast enough for Leon, he has Emmy stab Luke in the throat. He survives, but is rendered mute by the attack.(The end of Azran Legacy, plus snippets of the original trilogy+the crossover+the Relic Stones arc where Luke is unable to speak)
Relationships: Emmy Altava & Hershel Layton & Luke Triton, Emmy Altava & Luke Triton, Hershel Layton & Luke Triton
Series: Speechless [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571833
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Speechless

**Author's Note:**

> Underlined and italicized text is Luke. Underlined text is the Azran.
> 
> This has been an AU of mine for several months now, and I'm proud of this. I hope y'all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Luke grinned at Leon Bronev, who glowered back at him. The eleven-year-old Luke had just taken the Azran key from Leon while he had been distracted by the sanctuary's anti-weapons measures, and thrown it to Hershel. He still held it now, an amicable grin on his face. Luke put a hand on his cap, not taking his eyes off Leon. "We've turned the tables on you, Bronev!" A thought seemed to occur to Leon, and his expression shifted from an angry glare to a self-assured smirk. "Heh heh heh. Have you?" He let out a low, quiet chuckle, which provoked an instant reaction. Emmy pitched forwards, a shard of glass glistening in her hands. She grabbed Luke and pulled him away from the group, pressing the shard of glass to the exposed skin of his throat. He let out a startled gasp, which jolted the three other people in the vicinity to look in their direction. Hershel’s expression was one of shock, Aurora's was one of fear, and Descole's was one of mild irritation. Emmy's voice rang through the air. "Professor! Hand over the key stone!" Hershel stared at her for a moment before speaking. "Emmy?! What's going on?!" Luke's gaze was still locked on Emmy, and he had begun to shake with fear. "Stop it, Emmy! This isn't funny!" Emmy focused her glare on the wall behind Hershel. "No, it's not. I'm deadly serious." Hershel’s voice was as bewildered as his expression. "Emmy, do you mean to say..." Emmy cut him off with a grimace. "That's right. I work for Targent." Aurora and Luke both let out noises of shock, and Hershel’s eyes widened as he spoke. "Targent!" Emmy's eyes were not focused on anyone around her, still on the wall. "All the time I was working as your assistant, I was watching you. My instructions were to report all of your findings relating to the Azran." Luke was still shaking like a leaf in Emmy's grasp, and his gaze constantly shifted from Emmy to Hershel and back again. "It can't be! Say it's not true, Emmy!" Ignoring his pleading, Emmy tightened her grip on him, and pressed the glass harder against his neck. "The key! Hand it over!" Hershel was trying his best to remain calm, an attempt that was mostly working. "Emmy... why? Why are you doing this? You know what's at stake. If the Azran legacy is awakened, a terrible fate will befall the world!" Tears glistened in the eyes of both Emmy and Luke as the latter desperately tried to break free. "Think about it, Emmy! You can't do this! Please, don't!" Emmy squeezed her eyes shut, trying her hardest not to cry.

* * *

"Everything I've done has been for Uncle Leon." It was clear from Emmy's voice that she was struggling not to cry. Hershel let out a startled noise. Leon gave a subtle snarl, noticed only by Emmy. Despite seeing the action, she continued to speak. "Uncle Leon is all I have in this world!" "What?" Luke sounded almost offended as he cried out. Hershel took his gaze off of Emmy and Luke, and turned to stare calmly at Leon. His expression was unreadable as he let out a low chuckle. Emmy finally lifted her head to look Hershel in the eyes, and her voice was much more subdued. "I'm sorry, Professor." Hershel returned her gaze for a moment before gazing blankly at the key in his hand. Before he could do anything, a sudden scream from Luke split the silence. Hershel’s gaze snapped up from the key in his hand, quickly locking onto the blood that already covered Luke's throat. He threw the key in Leon’s general direction and rushed towards the struggling. "Stop this at once, Emmy! You're going to kill him!" Luke tried to fight Emmy's arms away from him, but it was no use. She was much stronger than him, and all he succeeded in doing was driving the glass deeper in the wound across his neck. Emmy struggled to keep a neutral expression on her face, even as her hands became slick with Luke's blood. Leon and Aurora were having some sort of argument, though nobody else payed them much heed. They didn't even really notice as Leon used the key to open the sanctuary. Leon’s voice suddenly split the air. "Good work, Emmeline." He then turned to Layton before he continued to speak. "I'm sorry, Layton. It's evident that you've grown attached to Emmeline. I must say, her performance was outstanding." Without warning, he grabbed Aurora's arm and pulled her into the sanctuary. Emmy followed him, taking the still struggling and bloody Luke with her. Hershel made no move to follow them, instead staring at the ground where they had been moments before. The snow was red with blood, a sharp contrast to the stark white snow around it. In addition, the stench of blood, Luke's blood, permeated the air. Descole, who had remained rooted to the same spot watching the events unfold, now crossed the ground to where Layton was standing. His expression was now livid. "Well, I never thought that young lady would betray you like this. Your assistant, a Targent mole!" Layton simply grunted in response, pulling his hat lower over his eyes. "I can see by your face that you had no idea... But we can't stand here moping while Bronev seizes the Azran's power. I don't care what happens to the boy, but I know you feel differently." At that, Hershel’s head snapped up to glower at Descole, who simply continued speaking. "We both want to stop Bronev. Why not work together? I won't let you go alone, so you may as well accept." "Very well. I see I have very little choice. Onwards it is." Hershel’s voice was dull and flat.

* * *

Inside the sanctuary, they came to a chasm. A splash of blue was visible on the other side. Hershel squinted and pointed to the color. "There! That's Luke!" Descole also squinted towards Luke. Even from the large distance, they could see how badly Luke was shaking. He tried to call across the chasm, but only strange noises came out. At this, he winced and pressed his hands against his throat. Descole glanced around the room. "I don't see Bronev or the others. They must have left him and gone on ahead. I suppose you'll want to rescue the boy. Well, whatever we do, we'll need to cross this gap." Hershel grimaced and turned from Luke to Descole. "That is true..." A quick look around the room later, they found a puzzle. When Hershel shifted the medals to their respective places, a bridge formed across the chasm. Luke came tearing across the bridge, tears streaming down his face and hands pressed against his neck. He nearly fell, and Hershel quickly caught him. Luke once again tried to yell, but only quiet sounds came out. In addition, another rush of blood trickled between his fingers and landed on the stone ground below. Hershel ordered Descole to stay out of the way, then gently pried Luke's hands from his neck. He reached for Luke's satchel, which Luke allowed him to take. Flipping it open, Hershel pulled out a first aid kit. Luke gave him a confused look. Ignoring it for the time being, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to wipe the blood from Luke's skin. When a good amount of the blood was gone, it revealed a twisted, gnarled cut that spanned the entire length of Luke's throat. Without hesitation, Hershel pulled out a roll of bandages and bound them over the wound. Giving a satisfied nod, he packed the bandages back into the kit before passing the handkerchief to Luke. Taking it, Luke wiped as much blood off his hands as he possibly could. When that was done, he passed the fabric back to Hershel before pulling a small notebook and pencil out of his bag. Hershel stored the handkerchief in the first aid kit, before placing the entire thing back in Luke's satchel. Luke hadn't noticed Descole, but Descole stepped around Hershel to speak. "It appears the boy is running on nothing but adrenaline at the current moment. I suppose we should catch up to Bronev sooner rather than later, then?" Luke made an indignant noise, scrawling a message on his notebook. The handwriting was messy, and it took Hershel and Descole a moment to decipher the scrawls.  _Professor, why is Descole with you?_ Descole only frowned at him. "We have forged a temporary alliance, a truce while we fight a common enemy." Luke ignored him, letting out another indignant noise. Hershel set a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Luke, please calm down. I don't particularly like it either, but Descole is right. We must work together to prevent Bronev from unleashing the power of the Azran. Now, why did Bronev and Emmy leave you behind?" All the anger disappeared from Luke's face, replaced by sadness, and he rocked back and forth on his heels.  _Oh! I meant to tell you, Professor! Emmy is still on our side!_ Hershel looked confused at that. "Hm? What do you mean?"  _Well, she let me go, for a start..._ He continued to write down an explanation, including how Emmy convinced Leon to leave Luke at the edge of the chasm. Hershel hummed in thought. "I see." Descole chimed in. "So the young lady has a personal stake in all this..." Hershel adjusted his hat and stepped onto the bridge. "We can ponder Emmy's intentions later. For now, we must press on after Bronev." He began a swift walk across the bridge, followed quickly by a shaking Luke and an irritated Descole.

* * *

Several puzzles, arguments, and shakings of Luke later, they arrived at a room with several tall statues. They discussed the statue's function, which they quickly realized was to shoot fire at any intruders. With a confident smirk, Descole pulled out a sword and destroyed the statues in such a way that there was a path to the other side of the room. The statues lay in pieces on the floor, and Luke grinned. As he walked past the head of a statue, the eyes lit up. Descole jumped slightly. "What? No!" Hershel rushed towards them as Luke dropped to the ground. He jolted as the laser fired and Descole let out a pained scream. "Aaaaaaaargh!" He landed on the ground, and Hershel quickly shifted him into a more comfortable position. Descole and Hershel began to have a conversation. Luke jumped from foot to foot a little ways away, his fading adrenaline returning full force after the sudden shock. Luke listened quietly as Descole explained that he was, in fact, Hershel’s older brother. Luke nearly jumped out of his skin when Descole said the name of his and Hershel’s father. "Our father... is Leon Bronev." Hershel shook his head, top hat slipping over his eyes. "I can't believe it..." After much instance from Descole, Hershel slowly stood up and walked over to Luke. Together, they made their way up to Leon and confronted him. It wasn't long before they were on the edge of the sanctuary alongside Leon, Emmy, and Aurora. They all looked around in wonder as the sanctuary became airborne. Leon smirked. "This is the prize I have spent my life searching for!" Luke stared at him, and Hershel turned to face him. "No, Bronev. It's no prize." Leon looked caught off-guard. "What?" Emmy turning and gasping drew the group's attention to a sudden swarm. A group of large machines flew out of the sanctuary, going everywhere. Leon looked around in confusion. "What are those things?" As if in response, the strange things began to fire lasers at the ground below. Leon looked out in horror. "What does it mean?" He took off his sunglasses as he watched the destruction. "Why is this happening?" Aurora walked up to them, her eyes and pendant glowing ice blue. She calmly explained that she was the voice of the Azran, and that Leon had released golems that would now destroy the entire world if nothing was done. As Aurora explained the golems, Leon looked like he was about to break down. "Everything I have been searching for these past decades... It was a lie... a trick! I sacrificed everything for this! I cared nothing for money or fame. I was just a scholar of archaeology. I lost my children, my wife... I threw my whole life away to solve the greatest puzzle in modern history! To gain superior knowledge and power that could change the world!" Leon wandered over to the edge of the staircase, sunk to his knees, and stared blankly out into the distance. "Rachel... All my searching... All the things I've done... And it's all been for this?" Aurora seemed to be back to normal, and Hershel pleaded for a way to stop the golems. Aurora directed them inside, where she explained that they had to step into the five lasers that had activated when Leon had started the sanctuary. "If we could just stop those beams of light..."

* * *

A voice rang out through the room, pained yet determined. "Stop the beams, you say?" Descole strolled into the room, his cape gone. Aurora gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "Oh!" Hershel seemed equally surprised. "Descole!" Aurora seemed quick to recover. "We need to step on the pedestals in the alcoves around this room, all at the same time." Hershel put a hand to his chin in thought. "And there are five pedestals..." Emmy's rich voice spoke out. "Professor! Please, let me help." Hershel gave her an inquisitive look as she walked into the sanctuary. "Emmy?" Luke came stumbling in to stand next to her, holding his notebook out at arms length.  _Yes! Let's do this together, Professor._ Hershel eyed them uncertainly. "Let me think about this." Emmy managed a tiny smile. "One last puzzle, for old time's sake?" Hershel nodded and made his way to the center of the room. "Bronev, we need you too! If we do not stop all five light beams, the entire human race is doomed!" Leon was about to say something, but Aurora spoke before he could. "Wait! If you do this... If you step into the beams of light, you will die!" There was a collective gasp throughout the room. Aurora looked to each person in turn. "Are you... Are you still willing to do it? The decision is yours and yours alone. Will you take this chance to save humanity?" Luke, who had been staring at the ground listlessly, slowly turned and made his way towards the nearest beam. "Luke!" The call from Hershel made him stop and stumble. Holding back a sniffle, Luke held his notebook over his head.  _It's the only way to save everyone. Professor, I have to do it!_ He faced Hershel with a confident grin, packed his notebook and pencil back into his bag, then sped up his pace a little as he approached the closest beam. Hershel looked at Emmy, then at Descole. All three of them nodded, and they spread out to various beams. Aurora took a long moment to stare at Leon, then she began to walk away. Hershel turned to look at her as she marched, determined, towards the final beam. "I'll help you too." He reached out towards her, and she stopped to look at him. "Aurora..." She kept walking and Hershel turned to step into the laser. He stuck his hand in, grimaced, then forced himself to step the full way in. Luke and Emmy were struggling to stay upright, while Descole was nearly doubled over with a hand on his wound from the statue. Aurora sprinted to the last beam, only to be flung to the side when she collided with it. Hershel noticed, and watched as Aurora tried with all her might to force herself into the beam. This time, it flung her away with even more force. "Aurora!" She looked up at him from the floor. "It's not working for me, Professor!" Leon still stood in the entryway, staring at the floor. "Ngggh... I was so close... I dedicated my life to archeology... to finding the most precious treasure that mankind could ever hope for... And yet... And yet..." Hershel’s pained voice split the silence. "Bronev! Listen to me! Our mission here... was not... pointless!" The words seemed to snap Leon back into reality. "Hm?" "Others can learn from this. They don't have to repeat the mistakes of the past. Humanity can move on, look to the future! Mankind... doesn't have to end here!" Leon’s expression morphed into one of determination. "No... It doesn't." Aurora looked shocked as Leon made his way past her to the vacant beam. He watched as Hershel struggled to hold on for a few more moments, and picked up his pace. As soon as he arrived, he leapt into the beam.

* * *

Leon stiffened violently as he began to scream, the sound filling the room. Emmy also began to scream, her eyes squeezed shut as she struggled to stay upright. Luke's scream was much weaker, and the bandages around his throat were dark red and beginning to drip. Descole was still doubled over, his face contorted in a terrifying grimace. Hershel’s scream was the loudest of all of them, and he was swaying dangerously. Aurora shook in fear as all their screams mixed in her ears. Outside the sanctuary, the golems began to drop to the ground. The beams of light faded away, and everyone fell over like sacks of bricks. Aurora scanned the room, her gaze lingering on each of the bodies. She fought the urge to cry, and looked up to the sky. "O light of the Azran, I beg you! Look upon this scene! The people of today are not foolish or selfish beings. They think of others. They strive for a brighter future. They are a great people! I cannot even imagine what they might achieve if they only lived!" Her eyes filled with tears and she pressed her hands to her chest. "O light of the Azran, I beg of you. Find a way to soothe their hurt." She focused her energy, and communicated with the Azran. Faint yellow beams of life shone where the pink beams of death once glistened. " So be it. Aurora, our messenger... we shall grant your wish"  Hershel was the first one to stand up, and Aurora smiled lightly. He looked around, confused, before Luke slowly made his way to stand next to him. Luke pulled his notebook from his satchel with shaking hands. _ We're... We're alive!  _ Hershel looked deep in thought. "Aurora? You saved us?" She smiled and explained that by being willing to sacrifice their lives, they had proven themselves worthy to the Azran. She also said that they had access to everything in the ruins, which Hershel politely declined. When Aurora reacted with surprise, Hershel explained that humanity would someday reach the same level of intellect as the Azran had. As everyone stood around, bits and pieces of the sanctuary began to fall off the outside. Everyone gasped, and Emmy shouted out. "What's going on?" Aurora looked up, eyes dull. "The Azran sanctuary has fulfilled its purpose. And so too have I. I thank you all." She began to glow a pale yellow and Luke let out a confused noise as they all watched in horror. Aurora continued to speak. "I must fade into obscurity along with the Azran. That is my fate. I am the last of the Azran golems. My body will soon cease to function." Hershel’s face was pained. "I'm sorry." Luke ran towards her, taking her hands. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he made noises of desperation. He pulled his hands away, and they were covered in the shining powder that Aurora was seemingly becoming. "You must go quickly." Hershel turned away and pulled his hat down over his eyes. "Very well. Let's go!" One by one they turned and ran, until only Luke was left, staring at Aurora. Hershel paused as Luke slowly backed away from Aurora. "Luke!" His eyes were full of tears, and he thought back to all the time he had spent with Aurora. He scrawled a message in his notebook, tears getting the page wet.  _Goodbye... Aurora..._ The sanctuary continued to crumble around him, and he turned and sprinted away. Layton followed him closely, as Aurora stood sadly and watched them go. The ground shook beneath them as they fled to a safe patch of rock. Hershel noticed something was... off, and turned towards the sanctuary's entrance. At the entrance was Descole, who was walking back into the sanctuary. He seemed to sense Hershel looking at him, and turned to face him. "Farewell, Layton." "Descole!" And so the sanctuary fell, with the four survivors staring off into the abyss. As they fell, they heard a voice that sounded like Aurora's, though she was nowhere to be found. "It's so clear to me now. Humans have evolved and grown. They've surpassed even the Azran. Indeed, they are a wonderful people in their own right. The Azran can rest in peace now. Humanity will live on, and build a better future. Goodbye, Professor Layton. Goodbye, Luke. We were only together for a short while, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you. Perhaps, one day, I will be reborn as a human being. A wonderful human being... like you."

* * *

By the time Aurora's voice faded out, they were floating on Lake Kodh at sunset. They were helped to shore by various members of the police. Luke and Hershel stood off to the side, staring at the ruins in the lake. Emmy stood a little ways away, too nervous to approach and talk to them.  _It's over, isn't it...?_ "Yes..." A yell from Grosky split the somber silence. "You're mine, Bronev! Looks like your number's up!" He handcuffed Leon, who was still staring at the lake. Leon silently followed Grosky away from the lake, pausing for a moment before speaking quietly. "Theodore Bronev... I thought you should know that's your real name." He turned to face Hershel. Hershel still stared at the lake, sorrow visible in his eyes. "You're mistaken. My name is Hershel Layton. I need no other name." Leon managed a sad smile. "No, you don't... Hershel Layton. Farewell." Leon started to walk away again, but stopped when Hershel spoke. "I could never call you Father. My parents are Roland and Lucille. However... Perhaps we will meet again one day... as fellow archaeologists, and as friends." Leon smiled weakly and then walked off with Grosky. Emmy watched them go, while Hershel and Luke continued to stare out at Lake Kodh. Emmy lightly walked over to Luke and set a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her inquisitively, and she sighed. "I just wanted to apologize before I left. What I did to you was unforgivable. I don't expect you to forgive me for what happened. That was my fault, and my fault alone. I want you to know that I feel terrible about... about everything. You're a great kid, Luke. Maybe someday I'll see you again. For now, though, I have to atone for what I've done." She started to walk away, but froze when Luke threw himself onto her in a hug. She felt him press his face into the back of her jacket, tears soaking it. She tried to pull herself away from him, but he wasn't letting go. "Luke, please." Her voice cracked as she tried to prevent herself from bursting into tears. Hershel spoke quietly and gently attempted to tug Luke away from Emmy. "Luke, my boy. What Emmy does is her choice. She made a mistake, a grave one, and now she wishes to own up to it. Emmy, I believe that Grosky should still be there if you wish to catch up to him." He managed to tug Luke away from Emmy, pulling Luke closer to himself. Emmy made her way towards where the police cars were still parked, pausing to turn around one last time. "And Luke... you should probably go to the hospital." She managed a small, sad, smile. With that said, she faced back towards the police and moved towards them at a brisk pace.

* * *

And then, she was gone. Luke sniffled quietly as he and Hershel watched Emmy walk away. They could see a splash of yellow that had to be her, talking to someone. A sudden yell told them it was Grosky. "You... you worked for Targent?! You did WHAT?!" Luke didn't seem to be seeing anything, tears dripping from his eyes. Hershel set a gentle hand on Luke's shoulder. "My boy, Emmy did raise a fair point. It would be best to go to the hospital." Luke was still reaching out for Emmy, despite the fact that she had left. He paid no mind to Hershel, instead focusing on where Emmy had just been standing. Tears dripped from his eyes, and he was unsteady on his feet. A small noise of protest came from him as he moved to take a step towards Emmy. He stumbled, pitching forwards. Hershel caught him, lifting Luke to his chest. All the energy seemed to leave him, and he settled into Hershel’s arms without further protest. An airship landed next to them, and Rook leaned out. “Need a ride? You look to be having a little bit of trouble there!” Hershel started towards the airship. “That would be greatly appreciated, thank you.” Rook’s eyes widened as he approached. “What happened to the kid?!” Hershel sighed. “He was attacked by Emmy Altava.” Rook frowned. “She was Targent? I thought I recognized her from somewhere. Anyway, come on in.” Hershel entered the airship behind Rook who turned around. “Bishop, set up another spot on the couch! And how’s Macintosh doing?” Bishop’s voice echoed from deeper in the airship. “I’m on it, Rook! And he’s doing alright!” Rook led them deeper, where Bishop had quickly set up a comfortable spot on the couch. He noticed them and smiled politely, backing up to make room for them. Rook politely excused himself to go pilot the ship, while Bishop focused on Macintosh and Hershel got Luke settled. He went to take a step back, but Luke grabbed his sleeve. Hershel sat down next to him as the ship took off. “Don’t worry, my boy. I have no intention of going anywhere.” Bishop rushed over to them. “Professor Layton! Kid in blue! Do you need anything?” Hershel nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble, I would like a cup of Earl Grey tea. Would you like anything, Luke?” Luke pulled out his notebook.  _Could I get… hot chocolate or something…?_ Bishop whirled around and rushed off. “Tea and hot chocolate on the way!” Hershel took Luke’s hat off his head and set it to the side, before wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “How are you holding up, my boy?” Luke blinked back tears.  _I miss Emmy. Why’d she have to leave?_ Hershel sighed, pulling his hat over his eyes. “Luke, my boy. Emmy stabbed you, and that is assault. Therefore, she must go to prison.” Luke let out a choked sob and buried his head in Hershel’s coat. Hershel gently patted him on the back as Bishop reentered the room. “One Earl Grey and one…” His voice trailed off as he noticed Hershel and Luke. “Am I interrupting something?” Luke’s head snapped up, and Hershel managed a sad smile. “It’s alright, Bishop.” Bishop awkwardly held out the two cups. “Anyway, I have your drinks!” Both Hershel and Luke took their drinks, and Bishop rushed off without another word. Luke stared blankly into his mug, tears falling into it. Hershel gently ran a hand through Luke’s hair. “Everything is going to be okay in the end, my boy. It shouldn’t be long before we get back to London, and you can see your parents again.” He took a sip of his drink, and Luke managed a small sip of his own. The two settled down as the airship glided through the air towards London.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, leave a comment/kudos!  
> I'll be posting the other chapters of this as I finish them. (Which will probably mean I don't update this for like three or four months lmao)


End file.
